Top Five Date Ideas

by ChristianCrush team

When the words “first date” enter your mind, are they accompanied by the soundtrack from Jaws? It can feel like every good date idea has been used up. The classic dinner-and-a-movie gets constant ridicule for being overused and even going out to coffee is seen as passé. But if we’re supposed to “live in harmony with one another” (Romans 12:16a), it’s time we avoided the overused cliché of boring first dates. One of the best ways to avoid a bad first date is to do something fun for the both of you, such as one of these 5 great first date ideas:

1-Skip dinner

Food and drinks are lovely, but how about meeting for brunch instead of dinner? Not only does it give you more time in the morning for your beauty sleep, brunch comes with less stressful expectations than dinner at a nice restaurant. Yelp is a fantastic resource if you want to find a trendy little breakfast place. Go to one on a cool side of town and after your meal, you can walk the streets and do some window shopping.

2-Learn something new

They say that you learn something new every day, so why not put it to good use? We like to think of this as a spin on the dinner/movie concept. Take a painting class, or learn how to salsa. The city is full of opportunities to try something new. Try a cooking class or tour your favorite brewery or vineyard. Check out the local museums and see if they have any traveling exhibits to see. While everyone else is staring awkwardly across the dinner table, you and your date could be learning how to tie sailor’s knots just like the Caribbean pirates did in the 1700s.

3-Use your ears

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a date who hates all kinds of music, and in the city it’s a cinch to find live performances. Head out to a jazz club if you feel like being sophisticated. For a bit of mystery, you could decide to go to a concert by a band neither of you have ever heard of. If there doesn’t seem to be anything good, check out shows that local universities and small playhouses are putting on. You might be able to find a Broadway hit or even a reading of your favorite author.

4-Play like kids

Everything was more fun as a kid. If you loved obstacle courses, sign up for a mud run. For those of us who don’t like getting dirty, head out to a game arcade and spend the night playing the original Mario Kart or Legend of Zelda. Don’t forget to take a break to play on the swings of a nearby park! You could even take turns pretending to be stand-up comedians, or laugh your heads off playing classic childhood games like Operation, Candy Land, or Life.

5-Plan in halves

Since many people often feel stressed if they are supposed to plan the entire date, split up the responsibilities into “food” and “activity”. All you need is to set some basic guidelines (allergies, timeline, dress code) and let your imagination fly. Keep it all a secret until you arrive at your destination. You’ll love the different combinations that you end up with, like dinner at a food festival followed by tickets to a stage play.

There is a time for everything under the sun, as Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us, so why not enjoy it? Use these top first date ideas to create experiences of your own, and let your imagination fly!